If the skillfully employed force of the beloved community helps veterans of war, their families and children, and their providers to heal, it can similarly help survivors of violent loss in our neighborhoods. And law enforcement personnel whose stress levels are off the chart.

As part of our ongoing series Third Metric we explore how people who have been diagnosed with serious illness stay positive and approach life in a new way.

It's a recipe for never-ending tragedy. And I'm not just talking about tragedies like Newtown. What about all the times that people have killed others by gunfire in an act of road rage, family bickering, or a squabble with someone down the block?